Some medical procedures are invasive and potentially dangerous although they are necessary life-saving procedures. Intubation, specifically tracheal intubation, is typically performed at various medical conditions, such as application of general anesthesia, comatose, etc. Tracheal intubation involves the placement or the insertion of an endotracheal tube (ETT) into a patient's trachea to protect the patient's airway and provide a means of mechanical ventilation. Delay and/or misplacement of the endotracheal tube, such as misplacement of the endotracheal tube into esophagus, may cause permanent neurological damage or death. Malposition of the ETT may jeopardize airway protection or cause inadequate ventilation. It is therefore imperative to intubate a patient quickly and position the ETT correctly when a medical condition arises.
Various technologies have been developed to assist the placement of the endotracheal tube into the trachea. In a technique called direct laryngoscopy, a laryngoscope is used to obtain a direct view of the glottis and the endotracheal tube is then inserted to pass through the mouth, larynx, and vocal cords into the trachea under direct vision. Another technique uses flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopes to obtain indirect view of epiglottis and vocal cord through coated glass fiber to facilitate intubation. A recent technology, a video laryngoscope, incorporates a video camera at a tip of modified laryngoscope to further assist the visual verification of ETT placement.
The above technologies heavily rely on visual observation and the experience of the user. Despite the improved visibility by various techniques and extensive training, failed intubation occurs frequently. Further, intubation under direct or indirect visual observation is not always possible in clinical practice. For example, visual verification may be impossible under some medical conditions, such as unstable cervical spine, airway trauma, heavy airway secretion, bleeding, etc.
While intubation is frequently performed by highly trained medical professionals in a hospital setting, such as an emergency room, operation room, or intensive care unit, etc., it is also performed by paramedics or equivalent in non-hospital settings, such as battlefields, motor vehicle accident scenes, or various field medical emergencies. Lack of experienced medical professionals and lack of easily-operated intubation devices may make the life-saving procedure difficult with potential loss of life in both hospital settings and non-hospital settings.